I enjoyed this essay very much. As a client, it's very important to me to know a little about my therapist. To know that they are human and can truly relate to me. My current therapist is like that, and I love him for it. He shares just enough in a way that strengthens the connection.
Question: "It felt like I was sitting across from a role rather than a human being. There was no friction, no texture nothing to hold onto." Can you please explain what "friction" means in this context?
Friction to me in that sentence meant a challenge. She didn’t challenge me, she just let me sit there in the void. No insight, no critical thinking opportunities, it was just empty, void of all human connection.
I entirely agree. There is a middle route. In the UK, we are in danger of ushering in the worst of all worlds - clinical detachment combined with social justice frameworks, so the therapist can already tell you what is wrong, from where you sit on the oppressed/oppressor scale. Additionally, with LGBT+, there is a move towards therapists also coming from ‘the community’, which is resulting in a lack of curiosity about gender issues, and a lot of careless ‘affirmation’.
I enjoyed this essay very much. As a client, it's very important to me to know a little about my therapist. To know that they are human and can truly relate to me. My current therapist is like that, and I love him for it. He shares just enough in a way that strengthens the connection.
Question: "It felt like I was sitting across from a role rather than a human being. There was no friction, no texture nothing to hold onto." Can you please explain what "friction" means in this context?
Friction to me in that sentence meant a challenge. She didn’t challenge me, she just let me sit there in the void. No insight, no critical thinking opportunities, it was just empty, void of all human connection.
That makes sense. Thank you for clarifying.
I entirely agree. There is a middle route. In the UK, we are in danger of ushering in the worst of all worlds - clinical detachment combined with social justice frameworks, so the therapist can already tell you what is wrong, from where you sit on the oppressed/oppressor scale. Additionally, with LGBT+, there is a move towards therapists also coming from ‘the community’, which is resulting in a lack of curiosity about gender issues, and a lot of careless ‘affirmation’.
I just can’t understand how they’re justifying this, it’s all upside down.